


Loose Ends

by hlravensnest_archivist



Category: Highlander: The Raven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-12-31
Updated: 2000-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-16 22:10:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11838021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hlravensnest_archivist/pseuds/hlravensnest_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atHL Raven's Nest. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onHL Raven's Nest's collection profile.





	Loose Ends

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HL Raven's Nest](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HL_Raven%27s_Nest). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HL Raven's Nest's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hlravensnest/profile).

Loose Ends by RSS

_Loose Ends_

By RSS 

Nick Wolfe is part of a bodyguard team protecting an entrepreneur who has made some powerful enemies. He's developing a run down section of the city. Tonight there was a gala at a civic center that was the first stage of the area's development. It was the only new building in this urban blight ridden area. Security wise, the evening was quiet. All that remained of the job was to get the entrepreneur and his wife in their limousine and safely home. Their driver and a bodyguard are bringing their car around when Nick notices a motorcycle parked on a desolate street. It hadn't been there earlier. There was nothing on the street but buildings scheduled for demolition. 

Nick speaks into his microphone. “There's something I want to check out.” 

“What is it?” 

“A motorcycle parked in the middle of nowhere.” 

Nick looks at the buildings adjacent to the motorcycle. The three-story building has boarded up windows; the roofs being the most likely spots for a sniper. Nick hears through his earpiece, “I see the motorcycle.” 

“I'm gon'a check the roof.” 

Nick breaks down the door closest to the parked motorcycle. Drawing his gun, he runs up the staircase and opens the door to the roof. He sees two figures on the roof. One fires two rounds at Nick; the shots miss but Nick jumps back. “Two snipers on the roof.” 

He hears a man's voice. “They're waiting for us down there.” Nick jumps out of the doorway and fires three rounds, missing their targets. One of the snipers returns fire as the other rappels off the roof. Nick fires again as the second sniper jumps off the roof. 

“They're rappelling down the back of the roof!” Nick yells into his mic. 

“The police are on the way!” 

Nick hears a few more pops, evidence of the gunplay on the street below. Nick takes off his jacket and uses it to protect his hand and rappels after the snipers. Nick catches up with Bert and together they chase after the snipers who are now out of sight. When Bert and Nick reach the next block they realize the snipers ran catty corner. The question is which way. Bert tells Nick to go right; Bert runs left. Nick doesn't like it. He knows if they don't split up there is a 50-50 chance the snipers will get away. Nick knows it wouldn't bother him so much if he weren't an Immortal – a bullet won't kill him. Even with the body armor Bert can still die. 

Nick runs down one side of the street, listening for any noise other than his own footsteps. He looks for any movement. Then he hears the sound of gunfire in his earpiece and a series of loud screams, recognizing it as Bert. Nick screams, “Send an ambulance!” Nick rounds a corner and sees two figures, exchanging gunfire seconds later. Nick sees one of the figures fall and fires two rounds at the other one, emptying his magazine. He quickly switches magazines, but the other sniper falls before Nick starts shooting. Nick runs up to the snipers and quickly checks each man for a pulse. They're both dead. 

Nick can still hear Bert through his earpiece, only hearing low moans. Nick feels the sensation of another Immortal. He wonders if an Immortal isn't behind every major crime in the world. Rounding a corner Nick sees Bert on the ground. A woman in a white nightgown is kneeling over Bert, his pants pulled down to his knees. The woman is pressing his upper thigh. She's the Immortal. Nick hears sirens in the distance. 

As Nick approaches he hears a meek, “No, no, no” coming from the woman. Bert says, “It's all right. He's a friend.” Nick knows Bert's reassurance won't mean anything to this stranger. 

“I'm not gon'a hurt you.” 

Nick sees the woman is compressing his femoral artery. Nick sees a stream of blood on the woman's nightgown. The woman looks scared. 

“I'm not gon'a hurt you,” he repeated. 

The police arrive shortly before the ambulance comes. The paramedics start treating Bert while Nick tells the police the situation. He sees the woman slip away, watching as she walks into a house. 

* * *

The next morning Nick is at Bert's bedside discussing how to find whoever hired the two killers. Amanda walks into the room carrying a bouquet of flowers in a vase. 

“Good morning!” 

Nick and Bert greet Amanda, who has an effervescent aura about her. She puts the vase on a nightstand then opens the curtains. She has on stiletto heeled sandals and a black, red, and yellow dress. Nick thinks how she looks like a German flag. 

“So how's the food here?” 

Bert smiles. Nick figures he'll leave Amanda to entertain Bert for a while. “I can see you're in good hands Bert. I'll clean up those loose ends we talked about.” 

* * *

One of the loose ends was to thank the woman who helped him last night. Nick found out her name is Camille Le Gloan. He parks his sports utility vehicle (SUV) half a block from her house – the closest parking space he could find. He passes an elderly woman sitting by a doorway and some children playing soccer. When he enters the gate to Camille's house the children stop playing. Glancing behind him, he sees them staring at him. Nick knocks on the door. 

“This is holy ground! Go away!” 

He can sense the fear in her voice. 

“I'm Nick Wolfe! We met last night! I'm not here to hurt you!” 

Nick hears the door unlock and Camille opens the door. She looks in her early twenties, wearing her black hair in a bun, a short frail looking woman. She's wearing a faded housedress that had been a colorful pattern at one time, now it looks almost white. 

“Come in.” 

Nick steps inside. 

“The man last night.” 

“He's gon'a be all right.” 

“His leg? What about his leg?” 

“He won't be doing any dancing for a while but the doctors expect him to make a full recovery.” 

“I'm glad.” 

“I've come to thank you for helping him.” 

“You're welcome. Oh my manners! Would you like some tea?” 

“Yea, I'd like that.” She walks into the kitchen, giving Nick a chance to take a look around the room. The room is almost bare. A few seconds later Camille returns. 

“The police told me you and your friend are bodyguards.” 

“Yea, his name is Bert Myers by the way.” 

“I'm Camille Le Gloan.” 

“I know, the police told me.” 

“1952.” 

“First death?” 

“Yes.” 

“1999.” 

“1999 and you walk the streets alone?” 

“Yea, I can't spend my life -- Have you stayed in this house since your first death?” 

“Almost. I died in a building collapse. My teacher, René Guérin – a wonderful man – a police officer, found me in the morgue. He took me to this house. A Synagogue used to be on this site, but the Nazi's destroyed it during the war. Horrible times. He told me never to leave without him. He used to come by every day and give me fencing lessons. Then one day, about three months after he brought me here, he stopped coming.” 

“And you haven't left since?” 

“He left instructions with a lawyer. If he disappeared for three days I was to get all his worldly possessions. That's how I've been able to live here all these years.” 

“He couldn't have meant for you to wait this long?” 

“The day he didn't come back I knew he was dead. If I leave here another Immortal will take my head.” 

“You said he gave you lessons.” 

“I still had much to learn when he stopped coming.” 

Nick figures she was probably selling things for food money. He sees a phone on the floor in a corner. The whistle to the teapot blows. Camille walks into the kitchen and comes back with some tea. They talk for a while about what's been happening in the world. She didn't even know the Americans had landed on the moon. She heard about General De Gaulle's death and the Common Market; she hadn't heard about Churchill's death but she figured he probably was; and surprised when Nick told her about Germany's reunification and the break up of The Soviet Union. 

“I'd better get going.” 

“I enjoyed talking to you.” Camille walks Nick to the door. “Nick, be careful.” 

“I always am. Good-bye for now.” 

“Good-bye for now.” 

Nick walks away from the house and hears the door close behind him. The children give him curious glances. He sees the same elderly woman still sitting by the same doorway. She asks, “Are you a policeman?” Nick stops walking and gives an affirmative nod. If she thinks he's a cop she might say something. If he says something first his American accent might give him away. 

“You know why the children stare? She never leaves that house. She's insane. I was a young woman when she first moved into the house. She was the mistress of a police officer. Then he disappeared. They never found the body. They could never prove anything.” 

“Thank you, Ma'am.” 

“You're English?” 

“American, sort of an exchange program.” 

Nick quickly walked to his SUV. He felt disgust. That woman has nothing better to do than to spread old gossip. Bert was screaming in the streets last night and Camille was the only one who went outside to help him. He could have bled to death. Nick knows he has to help Camille. She deserves a better life than she has. 

* * *

Nick returns to The Sanctuary where Amanda is having a drink of brandy and smoking a cigar. 

“Amanda do you know a Camille Le Gloan?” 

Amanda looks deep in thought for a few seconds. “The name sounds familiar but I can't place it.” 

“Could it be Amanda's famed memory is failing her?” 

“Perhaps, I've met so many people over the last thousand years. That's the woman who helped Bert?” 

“He told you about it?” 

“She's an Immortal?” 

“You do know her?” 

“You wouldn't be asking me about her if she wasn't. I don't know her. I don't forget Immortals.” 

“She's been a shut–in since the Fifties. Her teacher got killed and she's been afraid to step off holy ground.” 

“How sad.” 

“I'm gon'a try to bring her over here tomorrow.” 

“I'll go with you.” 

“I think it's better if I try to talk her out myself.” 

* * *

Nick walks to Camille's house, a bag of groceries with him. There's the chance he might not be able to talk her into leaving today. He wants to do something to improve her situation. Camille opens the front door before Nick reaches it. 

“Hello Nick! I'm so happy to see you again!” 

Nick is glad she's excited to see him. “I got you some things.” 

“You're too kind. Come in, I'll put some tea on!” Camille takes the bag of groceries and walks into the kitchen, returning a minute later. 

“You spoke to that woman across the street?” 

“She did all the talking.” 

“She told you about René's disappearance?” 

Nick nods his head. 

“I suppose everyone thought I was a kept woman. A policeman was missing and they had no clues. Since I, a woman who wasn't related to him, inherited everything, I was made a suspect. Their only suspect. They kept questioning me, searched the house from top to bottom, then started digging up the yard. Finally, they stopped coming. 

"I'm sure everyone on the block thought I'd killed him. All the faces I used to see from my window then. I've long since stopped seeing them. I suppose they all moved on – except for that woman. She's about my age. I've watched her through the years, watched her grow old. I've watched the houses on this street deteriorate. This used to be a well-kept street. Now look at it.” 

Camille looked melancholy. Nick sensed she felt like _Dorian Gray_ in reverse. She stayed inside a picture frame while the rest of the world aged. 

“I'd like you to meet my teacher. She's a woman. She's over 1,000 years old.” 

“So long, and a woman?” 

“Yea. Would you come with me?” 

“Are you sure this woman is 1,000 years old? A woman might tell a man anything to keep her head. Especially a big, strong man like you.” 

“Yea, I'm sure. I've met a couple of other Immortals who have known her for centuries.” 

Camille sits deep in thought. Nick waits patiently for an answer. He understands it's a big decision. Should she leave the sanctuary of her home with a man she hardly knows? Should she give up safety and security for the possibility of a happy life or a quick death? The teapot's whistle prompts Camille for an answer. 

“Yes, I'll go with you! You can drink your tea while I change!” 

Camille brings Nick his tea, then walks upstairs. She comes back a few minutes later wearing a long black coat, black shoes, and black gloves. She has a big black hat with a hair net in front in one hand. A single edged sword in the other. 

“I suppose I should get use to carrying this thing. Everyone would expect an old woman to step out of this house.” 

“Good idea.” 

Nick stands. Camille puts on her hat and sheathes her sword. They step outside. They walk away from the house, but Camille stops momentarily before she walks outside her gate. Nick understands, it's a brave new world for her. As they walk past the elderly woman in the doorway Camille says, “Good day Ma'am.” 

* * *

They walk into The Sanctuary. Amanda approaches them with a broad smile. “You must be Camille?” 

“Yes, are you Amanda?” 

Amanda nods her head. Then she looks over Camille from head to toe. “I see the first thing I'm going to have to do is take you shopping.” 

Amanda takes her by the hand and says “ _Ciao_ ” to Nick. Nick watches them leave. Amanda stands head and shoulders above Camille. Nick figures they'll be gone for a couple of hours. Amanda no doubt will introduce Camille to the concept of “shop 'til you drop.” 

* * *

Nick is busy with some paperwork when he senses the women returning. Nick steps out of his office and walks down the steps. Halfway down the staircase the two women enter The Sanctuary both wearing dresses with large blue, white, and red stripes. Nick thinks, _How French of them._ Even with her new platform shoes Camille still looks small. She's wearing her hair in a ponytail, her face and nails are made up. She looks beautiful. They each have two full shopping bags with them. Amanda says, “Ta, da!” 

“What do you think?” 

“You both look gorgeous.” 

Camille gives a curtsey. “Thank you Mr. Wolfe.” 

“Well turn around let him have a good look at you.” 

Amanda waves her cell phone. “I took the liberty of ordering out. I'm famished.” 

After dinner, Amanda and Camille change for Camille's fencing lesson. Nick waits in the gym. A few minutes later the two women enter the gym dressed in black leather. Amanda raises her sword. “Come at me.” 

Camille raises her sword, takes a deep breath and attacks Amanda. Camille seems to move pretty well. Amanda effortlessly blocks Camille's blows. After a short time Amanda seems preoccupied. Nick finds this strange, having always found that when Amanda fences she puts everything else out of her mind. 

After the fencing lesson Nick takes Camille home, she wanted to get home before it got dark. After Nick dropped Camille off he checked on Bert. Then drove to The Sanctuary just before sunset. He did this to keep his promise to Camille. 

Nick found The Sanctuary full of customers. Amanda was doing her usual mingling with the customers. Nick made his way to Amanda as she moves to an empty part of the room. 

“Bert's doing fine. Camille asked me to thank you again for everything.” 

“I'm sorry she didn't want to stay longer.” 

“It seems like she handles a sword pretty good.” 

“She has the basics down. She made a good choice by staying on holy ground. She isn't ready to go up against another Immortal.” 

Nick senses Amanda isn't telling him everything. “Amanda, there's something you're not telling me.” 

“There's something about her. Something familiar. Déjà vu maybe. I know I've never seen her before. It's annoying.” 

* * *

Nick picks up Camille to take her to another fencing lesson with Amanda. Amanda gives her some advice and teaches Camille how to use her small stature to her advantage. The move involved Camille ducking under an opponent's swing and striking at their mid-section. 

After the lesson Nick, Amanda, and Camille have a beer. Camille talks about her life, and “death”. Then the subject turns to Camille's first teacher. 

“Nick reminds me of him. He believed in justice and protecting the weak. Many men like to be that way, but few of them really are.” 

“I know. As long as I've been around I still think I can count the men like that I've met on my fingers.” 

“Perhaps you met him? His name was René Guérin.” 

Her face changes expression for a fraction of a second. “No, I've never met him.” 

Nick knows Camille probably didn't notice, but he knows Amanda well enough to tell when she's lying. He knows she just told a lie. Amanda walks over to her desk, writing something on a pad and tears off a sheet of paper. 

“It's not a good idea to try to teach two people at the same time. This really requires one-on-one training.” 

She hands Nick a piece of paper with a name and some directions on it. 

“Nick, you take Camille here. There's a man who lives there. One of the men I count. He'll teach you what you need to know, at least as well as I can. I'll call him and let him know you're coming. I'd go with you but I really have to get this place ready for business.” 

Nick thinks about arguing but decides that can wait until later. There's something she doesn't want Camille to know. Nick will go along with it until Amanda gets a chance to explain herself. 

“Well, there's no time like the present.” 

* * *

Nick comes back to The Sanctuary. He doesn't like Camille's new teacher, and doesn't like Amanda being dishonest with Camille. He catches Amanda's eye and points up. They walk upstairs to Nick's office. 

“Something wrong?” 

“I don't like that guy! He's an arrogant, conceited, know it all!” 

“With so much in common I'm surprised you didn't stay longer.” 

Nick is in no mood for Amanda's rapier wit. He gives her a stern look. 

“Camille will be safe with him. Immortals have a special bond with their first teacher. When their first teacher gets killed the desire for vengeance is very strong.” 

“You know who killed Guérin?” 

“Yes, and I don't want her to do anything stupid.” 

Amanda looks into Nick's eyes. She sits down and tells the story. 

* * *

**_1952_**

It started out as an ordinary heist, a one-woman job. My objective was the precious gems section of a museum. It was the early morning hours; I used a crossbow and grappling hook so I could climb up the side of the museum. I climbed up to the third floor ledge, then checked my watch. The luminous hands showed the time as 3:17. Perfect. The conscientious guards would have finished their rounds. The other guards would be asleep anyway. 

Unlocking the window was child's play. Slightly more complicated was the precious gems room. It used a series of photoelectric cells for security. I lit up a cigar and used the smoke to find out where the beams were. Being a woman who took care of her appearance gave me an advantage. The cells were too close to the ground for the average sized man. Not too low for me. I slid under the lowest beam. Then it was just a matter of taking what I wanted and leaving. I left the way I came, checking my watch when I got back on the street. It was 3:32. Perfect. A dash to my car and another night's work over, almost. It was still a matter of stashing the loot. The cops in Europe knew me well. My place would be the first place the police would look, so I put it in a locker at a bus terminal. 

The next day I went to see Basil Morgan. He had a closed sign on his pawnshop's door, but I sensed he was inside and knocked on the door. 

“Come on Basil, I know you're in there!” When he didn't answer, I used a bobby pin to pick the door's lock. 

“Basil it's me!” 

Basil stepped out of the back room with his sword in hand. “Amanda, you really have to start reading signs, love.” Basil looked even more jumpy than usual, but put his sword away. 

“I figured you would make an exception for an old friend with lots of lovely jewels.” 

“The museum job?” 

I smiled and flashed my eyes. 

“This shop is closed for good, ducky. If you'd excuse me love, I have to find another country to live in.” 

“Darling, you can give me some money and I'll give you a key. It's at the bus terminal, pick it up on your way out of town.” 

“No. Now if you don't mind ducky, I have some packing to do.” 

“Why don't you tell ducky what's wrong?” 

“This city has a police inspector who's one of us. He dropped by today, asking about the jewels you pinched. He didn't look like the live and let live type. You keep your jewels, I prefer to keep my head.” 

Basil....he's such a weasel. I could see there was no reasoning with him. 

I was walking back to my place trying to figure out where to unload my goods when I felt the prescience of another Immortal. Seconds later a car screeched to a halt and the other Immortal bolted out of the car. I saw another car and two marked police cars stop nearby. The other Immortal flashed a badge. 

“Miss Amanda Montrose, I am Inspector Guérin. You will come with me please.” 

That was the first time I met Inspector René Guérin. He was about six feet tall, slim frame, a stern face, dark hair and steel blue eyes. 

A short time later I was in the police station. Guérin's partner was a short man with gray sideburns and a bit overweight, a punch clock kind of character. Guérin was the firebrand. I put up with their questioning for a respectable amount of time, giving them the customary flip answers. Guérin left the room a couple of times. I expected his partner to try the good cop routine. That didn't happen. He apparently knew they would never break me. Finally, I decided the show was over. 

“Look, I'm a very busy woman. Either charge me or let me go.” 

Guérin cracked a smile. That's never a good sign. Then he took out my locker key. 

“We found this in your purse. It's a key to a locker in a train station, or a bus terminal perhaps. Where is this locker?” 

“You know Inspector it just slipped my mind. Madrid maybe, Palermo perhaps, could be Calais, I get around a lot.” 

“Someone saw a woman matching your description use a lock box at the bus terminal here in Paris last night. Let's go.” 

So the police took me for a ride to the bus terminal. Guérin led the entourage to the lock box then he ceremoniously opened the box and pulled out a black bag. Then he gave me a look and a smile. He opened the bag and found a bunch of my underwear. It was the sexiest underwear the Paris boutiques had to offer. 

The trick is to give the police a red herring. It has to be something that would require some good detective work to figure out. The red herring has to lead the police to a situation that will make them look as foolish as possible. The cleverest cop will find the clue first. This will take the cop down a peg with his peers. It will also make the other cops more interested in giving up. Now all I had to do was rub some salt in the wound. 

“I was wondering where I left these. Are you going to confiscate them? Perhaps you would like to take the evidence home and examine it yourself.” 

A couple of the cops went through great pains to keep from laughing. 

Guérin was right, I did have the key on me. The key he wanted was in the hollowed out heel of my shoe. Cliché today, but in 1952 it was a clever idea. The locker with the jewels was three lockers down and one above. I put my underwear in the locker the afternoon before the heist. I knew when I stashed the loot someone at the terminal would notice me. My plan worked like a charm. 

That night I drove around a bit, making sure no one followed. Then I drove to the terminal, in disguise wearing a long blonde wig. I stepped out of my car and walked a few steps before I sensed another Immortal. The other Immortal walked under a street light. It was Guérin. 

“Inspector Guérin, this is getting tiresome.” 

“I know you are guilty.” 

“What you think you know and what you can prove are two different things.” 

Guérin drew his rapier. 

“Summary execution for larceny?” 

“Beheading is the only punishment that means anything to us. Since you can't live by mortal law, you will die by ours.” 

I drew my sword. 

“We can both walk away from this. I'll leave town.” 

“Time for justice.” 

Then he came at me. He was a good fighter, strong and fast. I was in serious trouble. He had me on the defensive, and disarmed me. I ducked under his swing and rolled to my sword. He took another swing just as I grabbed my sword. I rolled away and jumped to my feet. Then I took his head with a back swing. 

* * *

**_Present Time_**

“The Quickening is probably why Camille was familiar to me.” Nick couldn't hide his revulsion. “Nick, I never wanted it to go that far. He was going to kill me! I have a right to protect myself!” 

“What if he was just going to arrest you?” 

“He wasn't!” 

“What if he was?” 

“He had no evidence.” 

“What if he did?” 

“I didn't think that far ahead in those days!” 

Nick felt he had to get away from her. He turned and walked out of The Sanctuary. She started the chain of events. A nice woman had to live as a shut–in for decades so Amanda could live the high life. Not thinking ahead has been the story of her life. She's changed since he met her. Nick knows he will soon come back to The Sanctuary, but for now he needs to get away. 

* * *

**_Epilogue_**

Nick has been avoiding Amanda the last two days when he finally enters The Sanctuary. Amanda is sitting at the bar clad in a fur-lined robe and matching slippers. She has a drink in one hand and a cigar in the other. Nick walks over to her. 

“I checked up on Camille. She's very happy. Even has a job in a department store.” 

“I'm glad.” 

“She asked me to thank you for everything.” Amanda nods. Nick pauses. Then he sits next to her. “Amanda, what's done is done.” 

“You forgive me?” 

“There's nothing to forgive.” 

**The End**

* * *

© 2000   
Please send comments to the author! 

* * *


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